Coalition In Congress Seeks Stricter Lead Law

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan coalition of congressional environmentalists introduced legislation Wednesday to greatly reduce the exposure of children to dangerous levels of lead.

Coalition members, including Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., said legislation is needed because new Environmental Protection Agency rules fail to safeguard the public.

Supporters of the legislation said lead poisoning is the most prevalent and preventable environmental disease among American children. Nationally, 3 million children have been exposed to levels of lead high enough to impair mental development, said Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., a coalition leader.

The legislation, introduced in both the Senate and House, is designed to overturn rules covering lead exposure that were set forth by the EPA on May 7. EPA Administrator William K. Reilly has rejected environmentalists' charges that the rules are inadequate, saying they are more protective than the ones they replaced and will improve drinking-water safety.

Among other things, the legislation would: Set a new, much lower limit on the amount of lead allowed in drinking water than the level set by the EPA.

Require water systems to replace lead lines much faster than the EPA's timetable.

Strengthen a program to check for lead contamination in the drinking water at schools and day-care facilities.

Establish a new program to assure that buyers and renters of older homes are informed of lead hazards -- especially in paint.

Introduction of the legislation came as the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental lobbying group, issued the results of a nationwide survey indicating that states are not fully complying with a 1988 law that calls for lead testing in drinking water in schools and day-care centers. The same law requires the EPA to provide the states with technical assistance.

The survey was based on information supplied by state officials. It said Connecticut officials reported half the schools and a smaller number of day-care centers in the state had sampled water supplies for lead. State health officials could not be reached for comment.

Waxman said he was especially disturbed about the low level of testing reported at day-care facilities. "Despite the substantial risks," he said, "the NRDC report says that fewer than 1 percent of day-care facilities in the country have their water tested to see if it is safe for making baby formula. This is an intolerable situation."

Lieberman said he, too, found the report disturbing. "Today's NRDC report shows how far we have to go," he said. "When it comes to fulfilling its responsibility to test the levels of lead in drinking water of our schools and day-care centers, the EPA's program to date doesn't amount to even a drop in the bucket."

Waxman could not estimate the cost of the legislation, but he said he thought Americans would be willing to pay whatever it takes to protect themselves and their children against lead poisoning.

Coalition members said they hoped to pass the legislation and send it to the White House this year. Several environmental groups praised the bill, saying it is a significant improvement over the EPA rule.